The program will make 140 donated stuffed animals available to emergency personnel in city ambulances to hand out to children during a crisis situation.

“Thanks to the efforts of Madison and Cameron, these stuffed animals will bring comfort to young children experiencing a family health emergency,” said Mayor Sam Katz. “The City of Winnipeg thanks both of these young people for showing such generosity of spirit and for reaching out to family and school friends to collect stuffed animals to help make others feel better.”

The cousins collected the freshly-cleaned, new and gently-used stuffed animals through their schools after Vanderhooft’s mother, Alex, approached the WFPS with the idea last November.